A majority of Americans believe college and universities are doing a fair or poor job of preparing recent college graduates for the workforce, a new survey released Tuesday by Northeastern University finds.

At the same time, the survey shows nearly two-thirds of Americans say they prefer a well-rounded higher education compared to one that focuses on industry-specific trade skills. And only a quarter of people think massive open online courses, or MOOCs, match the same quality of face-to-face-classroom education.

While America's higher education institutions are still held in high regard, researchers say doubts persist about the system's ability to prepare students for success in today's fast-changing economy.